Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Diasciaxc3x97hybrida cultivar xe2x80x98Codipeimxe2x80x99.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Diascia plant, botanically known as Diasciaxc3x97hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Codipeim.
The new Diascia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact Diascias with numerous uniquely-colored flowers.
The new Diascia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 1999 of the Diasciaxc3x97hybrida cultivar xe2x80x98Codiapeaxe2x80x99, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 09/996,383 (now abandoned), as the female, or seed parent, with a proprietary Diasciaxc3x97hybrida selection identified as X98.3.1, not patented, as the male, or pollen parent. The new Diascia was selected as a single plant from the resulting progeny of the cross-pollination by the Inventor in October, 1999, in a controlled environment in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia since October, 1999 has shown that the unique features of this new Diascia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
Plants of the cultivar Codipeim have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Codipeimxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Codipeimxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar of Diascia:
1. Compact and upright plant habit.
2. Freely branching habit.
3. Freely flowering habit.
4. Light red-colored flowers with darker red-colored centers.
5. Good temperature tolerance.
Plants of the new Diascia are most similar to plants of the female parent, the cultivar Codiapea. Compared to plants of the cultivar Codiapea, plants of the new Diascia have stronger stems and tolerate higher temperatures. Compared to plants of the male parent, the selection X98.3.1, plants of the new Diascia are more upright and differ in flower color as plants of the selection X98.3.1 have coral pink-colored flowers.